Non-Resident Programs: Outreach and Alumni Activities

The Non-Resident Program is made up of three regional outreach teams and one alumni team. The three regional teams focus on the regions of Central Asia, Black Sea/Eurasia and Central/Southeast Europe. The alumni team focuses on the more than 12,000 resident program graduates in all regions.

Outreach events are an integral component of the Marshall Center's mission to create a more stable security environment among the nations of Europe, Eurasia, North America and beyond. Through its non-resident programs, the Marshall Center is able to offer opportunities to address critical security and defense issues to the widest possible audiences within partner nations, including those who may not be able to attend resident courses in Garmisch, and respond to the needs of stakeholders for special focused events.

Ambassadors from the United States, Germany and the George C. Marshall European Center welcome government and military professionals from around central and southeast Europe to a seminar in Tirana, Albania, Sept. 6-8, 2016, to help them understand the seriousness of the transnational organized crime threat within their borders and to help them identify cooperative approaches to address them. Left to right are US Ambassador to Albania Donald Lu; German Ambassador to Albania Susanna Schuetz; and Marshall Center Associate Director for International Liaison, Ambassador Douglas Griffiths. (Marshall Center Photo by DEU SMSGT Mark Winkler)

The Marshall Center plans, develops and conducts more than 100 outreach events each year. While the topics vary according to the current challenges faced by the audience, the focus of the events remains on security sector reform and capacity building. These events are designed to assist an institution or nation in applying knowledge and resources to the development of its capability in a given area, such as democratic oversight of defense programs. They also support international discussions that seek to build a common vision leading to cooperative efforts that enhance security and stability in the Center's area of interest.

The Marshall Center also plans, develops and conducts over 40 alumni events throughout the region and in Garmisch to continue its engagement with alumni by offering support for alumni-led activities, such as in-country alumni association and networking events, and larger Community of Interest conferences in Garmisch in conjunction with the resident program experts. All alumni events provide an opportunity for alumni security professionals to discuss important security issues in an inter-ministerial forum, and build and contribute to the vast and growing Marshall Center network.

Conferences and workshops: These events, typically three to four working days in length, allow for focused sharing of information and viewpoints among experts and policymakers, leading to a summary report with concrete policy recommendations. Conferences and workshops are conducted in single-nation or multinational regional formats either in Germany or at a location in a participating country.

Tailored Seminars for Senior Leaders and Parliamentarians: These are multi-day, tailored instructional events at the Marshall Center for top-level officials, especially those new in their positions. Recent programs have been organized for ministers of defense, chiefs of defense, and parliamentarians.

Subject Matter Experts: Marshall Center faculty members are available to speak on a wide range of contemporary security issues such as regional security, peace and stability operations, border security, combating organized crime and corruption, international law, cyber security, counter trafficking and organized crime, defense transformation and other security topics.

Consulting: Regional and subject matter specialists on the Marshall Center faculty and staff are available for analysis and feedback on specific projects or reform initiatives pursued by national governments. Recent consulting has included the appraisal of strategic documents, such as national security and military strategies, and review of plans to modernize professional military education.